It’s no longer just official, it’s official like Dick Bavetta with a whistle. Yes, after only a month and a half of missed games turned into an eternity for NBA diehards across the globe, David Stern has lifted the curtain off the 66-game schedule for this year’s shortened season. And, now, since we’ve all been shaking our fist aimlessly in the air since talks of the lockout began back in early fall, we can finally take a breather to soak up these keys to kicking-off the first month of what should be quite an interesting adventure. Click here to see the full schedule.

— Preseason games begin on Dec. 16.

— Dallas host The Heat, while the Bulls visit the Lakers on Christmas Day.

— The Heat open at home against Boston, on Dec. 27 and broadcast on TNT.

— Dallas travels to OKC on Thursday, Dec. 29th in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals.

Although the back-to-backs don’t strike me as the greatest idea, does anyone else feel that the truncated season might be a good thing? Starting the season on Xmas every year seems like a great kickoff, and more off time could definitely benefit many injured/older players in the future as well…